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“This is a good first step towards making the kind of changes that New Jersey’s affordable housing law and regulations so desperately need,” said Senator Jennifer Beck (R-12). “Senator Lesniak has struck the right chord with this bill by listening to all of the stakeholders and working to craft the kind of bill that different interest groups can support. During his campaign, Governor Christie pointed out the many aspects of New Jersey’s current affordable housing laws that need to be reformed or completely abolished. I am hopeful that with this piece of legislation, New Jersey will be able to offer the kind of affordable housing that is needed without adding to the financial burden that is already pushing people out of the State.”

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Senator Jennifer Beck (R-12) announced today that she is drafting legislation that will help prevent a critical shortage of physicians in New Jersey. A two-year study by the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals concluded that the state will have an unprecedented shortfall in the number of doctors over the next decade, in part because of the state’s medical malpractice insurance laws.

“It is vital that we act now to ensure that every New Jerseyan will have access to care,” Beck said. “We need policies that will ensure we train and retain enough doctors to prevent the quality of care from deteriorating in our state.”

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The 12th District Legislators are thrilled with the recent announcement that Brazil’s top justice announced his decision that Sean Goldman should be returned to his father, David Goldman. Below is a statement from Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, who have advocated on David Goldman’s behalf in his on-going struggle to bring his son home after he was abducted by his Brazilian mother in 2004 and taken to Brazil:

“This most recent decision by Brazilian Chief Justice Gilmar Mendes is the culmination of years or hard work and struggle by so many people especially David Goldman and Rep. Chris Smith, who took on David’s mission as his own. It’s so heartening to see that justice is being served and that David will soon have his son home after so many years without him.

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Five Republican senators today said that it’s unlikely that a bill redefining marriage can pass the Senate and asked their Democratic colleagues to join them in a bipartisan effort to strengthen New Jersey’s civil union law. The five said that while they can’t support the Freedom of Religion and Equality in Civil Marriage Act (S-1967), they will work to ensure that New Jersey civil union law is enforced and provides all rights and benefits that legislators intended.

“Moving testimony in Senate hearings suggests that New Jersey’s civil union law is not always understood or followed,” Senator Tom Kean said. “We need to educate the public about the law, and enhance it if necessary so that no civil union partner is turned away from the hospital bed of a loved one.”

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Senators Bill Baroni and Jennifer Beck, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Kevin O’Toole, a member of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, commented today on a report issued by the State Commission of Investigation (SCI) detailing waste and abuse at the local government level.

“The examples of waste and abuse of taxpayers dollars detailed in this report are appalling,” Beck stated. “The examples of abuse are widespread and cross partisan lines. Sadly it seems that some local officials are not interested in being good stewards of taxpayer dollars.”